Investing in the Next Generation of Agricultural Scientists

The challenges that farmers and ranchers face today are growing more and more complex, and the cornerstone of the SARE program is the idea that sustainable solutions to these challenges arise when scientists, educators and producers work together to test theories in real-world, on-farm situations. However, for this approach itself to be sustainable, there must always be a strong pool of agricultural scientists rising through the ranks who believe in it too—professionals who know how to use collaborative, applied research to address the real-world needs of farmers and ranchers.

This is precisely why SARE offers research grants through its unique Graduate Student Grant program, and why we are proud to say we hit a major milestone in 2016 when we awarded our 600th Graduate Student grant. Since 2000, the four SARE regions have awarded a total of $7.2 million to 600 graduate students.

In this report, you will learn about the considerable impact of this investment on both the students and sustainable agriculture through the stories of eight grant recipients.

Watch one Graduate Student grantee describe how the SARE program was integral to her career:

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This site is maintained by SARE Outreach for the SARE program and is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award No. 2014-38640-22173. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.